


Cold

by heliotrope



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-05 15:28:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21210830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heliotrope/pseuds/heliotrope
Summary: Some are more used to the cold than others.





	Cold

**Author's Note:**

> Set shortly post-canon, during Catherine and Shamir's paired ending. Minor spoilers for Catherine's identity.

“Cold?”

The Faerghus winds bit playfully at any exposed skin one might have forgotten to wrap under a jacket or a scarf, a reminder that true winter was close on their heels. Having grown up in the Kingdom, the cold had become little more than an afterthought to Catherine, but the almost imperceptible shiver of her traveling companion reminded her that there were still those not wholly used to the chill.

“Winter is setting in early here,” Shamir commented in reply. Despite her matter-of-fact tone, she ran a gloved hand over the bare skin of her forearm, as if banishing the goosebumps.

After nearly ten years of partnership, Catherine recognized that that was as close to an admittance of vulnerability as she was going to get. She wrapped her arms around Shamir, attempting to rearrange both their limbs as best she could to shield from the biting cold. Her reward was the sensation of her partner melting into her embrace as Catherine’s radiator-like warmth banished the tension from her shoulders.

“Better, right?”

“It’s only a temporary solution,” Shamir answered evenly.

“Strict as always.” The complaint had little bite, though, as Catherine was more distracted by the fact that she was perfectly poised to launch an attack on the crook of Shamir’s neck with her lips. An opportunity she saw little reason to pass up.

A sharp intake of breath and a soft sigh were the only indications that she’d met her target. After a moment of consideration, Shamir tilted her head ever so slightly to grant her further access.

“If we’re staying in the area for a while, you should get winter clothes,” Catherine murmured into her partner’s skin.

“Or,” Shamir said coolly, “we could leave before it gets colder.”

“The winter sunrises here are beautiful, though, if you know where to look. Don’t you want to see them?” Catherine’s query was met with contemplative silence. She did want to see them, then. Catherine got the courage to push a little further. “We’ll be passing by House Charon soon, anyways.”

“You want to visit your family?” Shamir asked the question with an unexpected gentleness.

“Sure. I’d like to say good-bye before we leave Fodlan for good, at least. But I was also thinking… well, waste not, want not, right?”

“... Yes?” A hint of suspicion had crept into Shamir’s voice. Catherine wondered exactly which part of her answer had tipped her off. But then, it was Shamir’s incredible perceptivity that had kept both of them alive all these years, after all.

Better to just cut to the chase, probably. “I’m pretty sure my old clothes would fit you.”

“How old?”

“I dunno. Ten, fifteen years?”

“Which is it? Ten, or fifteen?”

“Do you really expect me to remember when I had my growth spurt?”

For a moment, Catherine thought Shamir was really going to answer yes, but she merely sighed and leaned backwards, pushing deeper into Catherine’s embrace. “Just tell me you didn’t have a frivolous phase.”

“Oh, well, if you’re asking if I was into the frilly dresses and stuff, then no. But...”

“But?”

“I think I was around your size while I was in school… And I never did throw away the uniform. Which is to say, since we’ll be there anyways… Haven’t you ever been curious what you’d look like in the Garreg Mach uniform?”

The icy-cold look Catherine got in reply made the Faerghus winter feel like summer.


End file.
